Jewels of a Soul
by Charliesky57
Summary: A valuable necklace belonging to Thranduil gets in the hands of the dwarfs and they want to exchange it for Thranduils homage to Thror. This story explores why its so valuable to Thranduil and also what happens to his wife.


He was making his way to his chamber when the glint of the jewels caught his eye. Thranduil turned around to see them tucked away in the chamber. He tore his eyes from them, pain creeping around his heart. Their glint kept flickering in the dim light, almost as if they wanted to sway him into the chamber. His feet refused his orders and he suddenly found himself being carried towards the jewels. They had been carefully placed on three stands made of wood. One was an emerald given to him by the Lady of Lothlorien and the other a ruby, a present from his friend Elrond, in between them stood an empty spot. A spot where a diamond necklace should have been. All the jewels in his possession were worth far more than the a mere diamond necklace but he wanted it back. It would always remind him of her.

His thoughts drift back to the day they married. The trees are blossoming and the sweet scent of flowers hangs in the air. Sun rays are filtering through the canopy of trees, they spill on her skin like a sheet of shimmer making her look ethereal. She turns around to smile at him joyously and the forest smiles with her. He can't resist one of his own. There is so much brightness in her eyes that they have become the only light to guide him in this world of darkness.

That night he takes her to a waterfall away from the city. She is ecstatic, almost anxious to see the surprise he has for her.

"Open your eyes." He says.

She does so excitedly but then confusion crosses her delicate features. "You are giving me a waterfall?"

Thranduil chuckles. "No my love, come."

They walk to the waterfall and he leads them to the cave that is behind the curtain of water. At first the trail is dark and she grabs onto his arm. As they walk deeper into the cave small droplets start lighting up. His wife's breath hitches at the surprise but she is more curious than ever. Light worms illuminate the cave until it seems as if it is plain as day. Finally they arrive at a spot where he has set up a lush blanket and an assortment of fruits and delicacies. She smiles seductively at him. "This is a perfect setting to consummate our marriage." She says and lays down on the blanket, patting the spot next to her for him to sit down. He smirks and scoots next to her. She plops a grape into her mouth and offers one to him. He cannot resist and he pulls her into an embrace, breathing in her scent.

"What is the matter my darling?" She asks looking up at him when he doesn't release her after a while.

"Nothing." He says savoring the moment and squeezes her more. "I wish we could stay like this forever."

She plants a kiss on his jawline. "I cannot promise it will be like this forever." She said sternly and turned to face him. "But I can promise you that I will never leave your side."

He kisses the top her head tenderly and after a moment puts her to the side to stand up. "I will be back my love."

She watches him with a questioning look but says nothing. He disappears deeper into the cave and comes back minutes later. There is a bundle wrapped in leather in his hands and he presents it to her almost reverently.

"Remember the first time I proposed to you?" He asks sitting next to her.

"How could I forget! My feelings towards you were very different from what they are now. I thought you were an arrogant prince who only cared for himself. It was until years later that you proposed to me again that I knew I was madly in love with you." She said laughing.

"What was the condition you set to marry me that first time?"

Her mouth fell open and her eyebrows knitted together. "I did not mean it Thranduil. I only said that to persuade you from wanting to marry me."

He smiled at her tenderly. "You said you would only marry me if I could find something that could match your beauty and rareness. Open it."

She did so reluctantly. A bright ray of light seeped through the leather as she uncovered the last piece. A delicate string of diamonds formed a necklace. The light refracted into a thousand colors. "My love it is truly beautiful but this is unnecessary. The love in me for you does not depend on jewels."

"I know that darling but I believe nothing could display your beauty like this. I picked every diamond myself and polished it, it took fifty years." He took her hands in his. "Just when you think each piece cannot become more beautiful it surprises you. That's the way you are, just when I think you cannot show me more love you prove me wrong. There is a beautiful canvas of emotions in you that reminds me that not everything in this world is evil and that there is always hope. You are my light, my sun and stars. You are my life." He says and pulls her into a kiss.

Tears run down her cheeks and there are so many emotions running through her eyes. "My love for you is but a reflection of what I see in you. It is nourished by the beauty in your soul. You are my soul Thranduil."

Something inside him swells up and he doesn't know how his body is not bursting from so much happiness and love.

Flames bathe anything in sight. The trees are engulfed in fire and everybody is falling back. That's when she sees him. His armor is shining bright under the flames. He has his sword in his hand, taking a defiant stand against the dragon. The dragon is shadowing over him, his wings spread. Fire starts building in his throat and Thranduil is not moving. Panic invades her and she wants to yell but she is mute. The dragon spits fire and it catches his left arm. The flames travel up to the side of his face and he is on the floor, spasms shaking his whole body. She is already galloping at full speed away from the camp towards him. The soldiers are shouting at her to come back but it's too late, there is only one objective in her mind and it is to save him. She jumps off her horse and runs to her husband, collapsing at his side. His breaths come out short and ragged but he is still alive and she thanks the Valar. The left side of his body is charred and she scolds him for being so stubborn. A small smile plays on his lips despite the pain he is in. From the corner of her eye she can see a group of elves making their way to them. They wouldn't be able to make it out alive with the attention of the dragon fully on them. She touches her husbands face tenderly and kisses him. She tries to convey all the words she couldn't say and the ones she never will, the promises she would not be able to keep and the love she has for him and their son, but above all she tries to tell him that everything will be alright. When she pulls away there is desperation in his eyes and he reaches out for her in an attempt to stop her, but its already too late. She sprints as far as possible from him and shoots an arrow at the dragon. The beast turns his attention to her just in time for the group of elves to rescue her husband. The beast prepares to attack. She takes out a black metal arrow and aims at its neck. The second the dragon spits its fire she releases the arrow and it embeds itself in the beast's neck. The dragon screams in agony and releases the fire. The last thing she sees is her husbands body being rushed back into the safety of the camp, relief fills her and she embraces the bright light.

Thranduil screams and pushes the guards aside. He is already standing up when an arm pushes him back down and he fights it with all his might. "Let me go!" He screams.

"It is too late, she is gone." A voice says and Thranduil can't control the broken sobs that make his body tremble.

An arm pulls him into an embrace and he buries his face in their shoulder. He whispers her name praying it will bring her back. His sobs turn into screams until he feels something cold run through his veins numbing his body. The last thing he hears are the healing spells by Elrond then darkness overtakes him.

His hand is a fist and a hot sliver of blood runs through his fingers. The memory is so fresh it feels like yesterday. Part of him was lost forever when his wife died. Part of Mirkwood died along with her. The sunlight was not as bright anymore, the birds didn't sing as cheerfully and the trees lost their splendor. The mourn of her death was felt everywhere. He looks at the empty spot, a spot where a that piece should have been. A simple rocks that held her soul in many ways and the last thing that made him feel as if she were still here.


End file.
